What is a Conservation District?

 

Conservation Districts are "unique" local units of State Government that utilize state, federal and private sector resources to solve today's conservation problems. The guiding philosophy of all Conservation Districts is that decisions on conservation issues should be made at the local level, by local people, with technical assistance provided by government.

 

The locally elected five-member board of directors makes all decisions regarding the District’s programs and activities.  The directors hire qualified staff to conduct and carry out the programs and activities that they have approved.  These programs provide technical help, information, and awareness to assist people in the District to properly manage their natural resources.  In Michigan, there are 80 Conservation Districts, which are generally organized along county boundaries.

 

 

What is the purpose of Conservation Districts?

 

Created to serve as stewards of natural resources, Michigan's Conservation Districts take an ecosystem approach to conservation and protection. Conservation Districts are referred to as “gateways” in their local communities. They provide linkages between land managers and a host of conservation service providers that include state, federal and local governments, conservation organizations, and Internet resources. Conservation Districts continually scan the needs of their local communities, work in partnership with others involved in conservation to set local priorities, and develop action plans to solve natural resource problems. The delivery of these efforts by Conservation Districts allows citizens to manage their private lands for a cleaner, healthier Michigan. It allows the public a point of access in their communities when questions arise on how to manage natural resources.

 

 

Are There Conservation District in States Other than Michigan?

 

Yes.  More than 3,000 locally governed Conservation Districts are operating throughout the United States.

 

 

How Are Conservation Districts Funded?

 

District funding sources include state appropriations, county and other local governmental appropriations, federal and state grants, and other locally initiated and conducted fund raising activities.  The Barry Conservation District’s primary funding source are the bi-annual tree sales, which provide the bulk of the operating income of the District.  State appropriations, grants and county appropriations complete the operating budget, which allows the District to conduct programs focused on solving resource issues and educating land users on how to better care for our natural resources.

 

How Does a Land User Receive Assistance from Their District?

 

District assistance is a phone call, internet link or office visit away.  The Barry Conservation District is located in Hastings, at 1611 South Hanover, Suite 105 (Secretary of State building).  Office hours are 8:00 – 4:30 weekdays.   Phone number: 269-948-8056, Ext 3.  The BCD is currently working on building a website, which will be available in January 2007.

 

Conservation Districts – Your Natural Resource Gateway!

 

Programs carried out by Conservation Districts are as diverse as the landscape in Michigan. In southern Michigan, many of the programs deal with conservation needs of the farm community, while in northern Michigan, there is more emphasis on forestry, wildlife, water quality, and recreation. In Barry County, the Barry Conservation District is actively involved in the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, is leading the development of the Thornapple River Watershed Management Plan, and is actively involved in the community through involvement in the County Agricultural Preservation Board, The Solid Waste Oversight Committee, and the Master Plan ordinance development process.  In addition, the BCD is an active land steward, promoting the establishment of natural landscapes and enhancement activities through offering technical assistance and implementation supplies for grasslands and woodlands.  Conservation Districts, diverse as the land of Michigan, continue to expand into all areas of natural resource management, rising to meet the environmental challenges of their local communities.  Stop in the Barry Conservation District and get to know your local Conservation and Natural Resource advocate!

 

A History of Conservation in Barry County

 

History

In the 107 years between the arrival of the first settlers to Barry County and the adoption of the Michigan Soil Conservation District law (Act 297) in 1937, literally thousands of acres in the county were rendered unfit for farming due to erosion.  These “worn out” lands caused people to move away.  Schools and businesses were closed as a result.  Idled farmland was evident in every township.

 

Recognizing the problem and utilizing the 1937 law, Barry County Agricultural Agent Harold J. Foster took the lead role in working with Farm Bureau, granges and other interested parties in promoting conservation.  After a series of informational meetings, the Barry Soil Conservation District was formed in November, 1944 by referendum vote.  The District encompasses all of Barry County, including townships, cities and incorporated villages.

 

In the 62 years since its foundation, the Barry Conservation District has seen some changes.  For the first 45 years, the District worked primarily with farmers, introducing them to new technologies such as no-till drilling, crop rotation and windbreaks to reduce soil erosion.  As land use patterns changed and farmland gave way to homes and businesses, the District began to work more closely with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to bring cost share programs to County farmers implementing soil, water and habitat conservation practices.  Additionally, the District developed partnerships with the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).  Understanding that the future of the State’s resources is mostly in the hands of private landowners, these partnerships seek to provide resource conservation assistance to both farming and non-farm landowners.

 

In 1975, the District’s name was changed to the Barry Soil and Water Conservation District to recognize the importance of water as a resource.  By 1999, when the District’s Board of Directors completed a new resource assessment, they recognized that many other resources including forestland, grasslands, wetlands, and certain declining plant and animal species needed attention.  By changing their name to the Barry Conservation District, the Board expressed the increasingly broad conservation challenges created by a developing community.    

 

Purpose

As a locally controlled governmental subdivision of the state, the Barry Conservation District is governed by a citizen-elected board of five Directors.   The Board of Directors is charged to assess natural resources within the District, develop a plan of action to address natural resource issues, and employ staff to implement this plan through education, programs, projects and technical assistance provided to District landowners.  Directors are elected to four-year terms, meet publicly each month to conduct business, publish annual reports and hold annual meetings. 

 

Programs

The Barry Conservation District shares an office with the USDA NRCS at 1611 S. Hanover Street in Hastings (the Secretary of State Building).  The District and NRCS continue to work together to provide information and technical assistance to local agricultural operators. 

 

The District’s programs include:

· The Barry-Eaton Groundwater Stewardship Program, located in the Barry Conservation District office, which offers on-farm assistance in minimizing threats to groundwater.

· The Barry-Eaton-Ingham Americorps Program, housed in Eaton County, helps homeowners to limit potential groundwater contamination.

· The Thornapple River Watershed Management Plan Project, a regional initiative, brings together agencies and organizations from throughout the watershed to assess, study and develop recommendations to sustain the health of the Thornapple River, its tributaries and the lands surrounding them.

· The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program uses twice annual macroinvertebrate monitoring sessions on several streams in the Thornapple Watershed to gage water quality.

· The Wetland Ordinance Project, which is assisting the County Planning and Zoning Commission in developing an ordinance to protect isolated wetlands.

· The Barry County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Project, which is designed to instill a broader understanding of the importance of Barry County land use policies and programs to guide growth and provide protection of farmland and open space.

· The Barry County Natural Features Inventory, which utilizes a science-based approach to identify potential conservation areas throughout the county that, with proper management, will ensure the long-term persistence of the areas biodiversity, the ecological processes needed to maintain these elements, and ecological stability.

The Waste Reduction Surcharge Program, which was adopted by Barry County in 2006 to enable municipalities to develop recycling programs to reduce the amount of solid waste entering the waste stream.

 

In addition to providing educational programs and conservation projects, each spring and fall the District holds tree sales, providing inexpensive bare-root trees and planting supplies to encourage reforestation and habitat development in Barry County.